Brand Names:

IMPORTANT WARNING:

Mitomycin can cause a decrease in the number of blood cells in your bone marrow. Mitomycin also can cause kidney damage. Your doctor will order certain lab tests to check your response to mitomycin.

About your treatment:

Your doctor has ordered the drug mitomycin to help treat your illness. The drug is given by injection into a vein.
This medication is used to treat:
adenocarcinoma of the stomach and pancreas
This medication is sometimes prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
Mitomycin is a type of antibiotic that is only used in cancer chemotherapy. It slows or stops the growth of cancer cells in your body. The length of treatment depends on the types of drugs you are taking, how well your body responds to them, and the type of cancer you have.

Other uses for this medicine:

Mitomycin is also used to treat adenocarcinoma of the colon and rectum; squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, lungs, and cervix; adenocarcinoma and duct cell carcinoma of the breast; and bladder cancer. Talk to your doctor about the possible risks of using this drug for your condition.

Precautions:

Before taking mitomycin,
tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to mitomycin or any other drugs.
tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications you are taking, especially aspirin and vitamins.
tell your doctor if you have or have ever had kidney disease.
you should know that mitomycin may interfere with the normal menstrual cycle (period) in women and may stop sperm production in men. However, you should not assume that you cannot get pregnant or that you cannot get someone else pregnant. Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding should tell their doctors before they begin taking this drug. You should not plan to have children while receiving chemotherapy or for a while after treatments. (Talk to your doctor for further details.) Use a reliable method of birth control to prevent pregnancy. Mitomycin may harm the fetus.
do not have any vaccinations (e.g., measles or flu shots) without talking to your doctor.

Side effects:

Side effects from mitomycin are common and include:
nausea and vomiting
loss of appetite
thinned or brittle hair
Tell your doctor if either of these symptoms is severe or lasts for several hours:
fatigue or weakness
mouth blistering
If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately:
unusual bruising or bleeding
pain, redness, or swelling at the injection site
fever
chills
sore throat
cough
rash
itching
difficulty urinating
swelling of the ankles or feet
dizziness
shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

In case of overdose:

In case of overdose, call your local poison control center. If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call local emergency services at 911.